Melvin Gordon might end holdout soon, earliest he can play is Week 5

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers

After back-to-back losses to Detroit and Houston the last couple of weeks, the Chargers could use some good news for a change, and Melvin Gordon might be the one to deliver it.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that Gordon, who has been holding out over a contract dispute, could soon be returning to the team.

Gordon is in the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $4.9 million in base salary for the 2019 season. He has been a contract holdout since the start of training camp, looking to get a new deal that will pay him close to what the top running backs are averaging in the NFL, which is about $13 million per year.

Gordon’s backups, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, have played well in his absence, but the Chargers could use a spark on offense to get them back on track. However, if Gordon returns, it doesn’t look like he’ll play until Week 5.

Fortunately for the Chargers, it doesn’t look like they’ll need Gordon for this week’s matchup against the Dolphins. Miami has looked horrendous to start the season, which should bode well for Los Angeles despite traveling to the east coast.

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